Shrimp Hatchers

[spk]

I use the inverted soda bottles and run three at a time for feeding the Banggai babies. These are the $13.99 - $15.99 from most pet stores that sell brine shrimp eggs.

I use decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. Artemia Revolution from NT Labs, Life A from Aqua Medic. Although the Aqua Medic ones I have not had a good hatch rate from yet.

Good luck

Steve

[David M]

Unless my memory is experiencing senior malfunction I believe that Life A says right on the bottle that they are non hatching cysts.

[David M]

Oh btw while I have not actually tried this yet I've always thought that an inverted traffic cone would make a dandy hatcher when you outgrow soda bottles. I was about to buy one when I found a conical 1 gallon water bottle at the grocery store so I'm getting by with that for now. I'll probably get a traffic cone soon and report back.

[spk]

David,

You had me worried there. I was not very sure all of a sudden. I was convinced that they would hatch. But I did have a look on the Aqua Medic web site and found the following.

life A comprises decapsulated artemia cysts, which can be hatched in the same way as encapsulated cysts. The hatched nauplii are shell-free, and in consequence there are no waste shells to remove. This shell waste, if ingested, can cause serious problems for juvenile fish and they may die due to constipation. Because life A is de-capsulated, it is an excellent food for raising seahorses.


So, not sure if you lot over there get something different and if you did I would love to know.

Steve

[David M]

Well it was several years ago, it was a hot topic on seahorse.org.

I'm pretty sure that at that time it was advertised as "non hatching". Product could have changed or maybe that was just a disclaimer since most people seemed to get very poor hatch rates. If the mfr says they are non hatching and you get some to hatch, you can't really complain about the %, right

[spk]

David,

That is so true. But I must admint I do not prefer their brand.

Steve

[Fishboy42]

Life-A is (or was for a bit at least) advertised as a hatching cyst, although the hatch-rates were low and the brine were poorly colored compared to any I'd seen (I don't know if this makes a difference, but I equated it with poorer nutrition). I did get a bottle once that wouldn't hatch at all and got it replaced. Not my favorite brand either...

Originally posted by David M
I'll probably get a traffic cone soon and report back.

David, you know we are going to want to see pictures of that

[spk]

That traffic cone is an interesting idea David.......

How many are you hatching at any point in time?

Steve

[FishGuttz]

This is what I use, it works really well.

http://www.sciencekit.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_432479
http://www.fishinthe.net/html/reviews-12.html

[David M]

How many are you hatching at any point in time?

I decap 8 level teaspoons of SF cysts at a time in the one gallon bottle, lasts me 2-1/2 to 3 days. I have two soda bottle hatchers, one AM and one PM. I don't really need a bigger hatcher , I want the traffic cone to decap a larger batch maybe once a week.

Also I rehydrate FD CE the same way, just like hatching brine. It takes a good 18-24 hours to get it completely rehydrated so I want the cone for that too.

[ediaz]

David i used to decap 1/4 pound of eggs in a 1 liter flask, 500ml of bleach and 500 ml of DI water Ph 10.

I buy my eggs by the pound, decap once a month.

Now is just sweet no more decap.

Ed

[RedSonja]

Originally posted by spk
I use the inverted soda bottles and run three at a time for feeding the Banggai babies. These are the $13.99 - $15.99 from most pet stores that sell brine shrimp eggs.

Steve

If anyone is looking to buy more of these type of hatchers, brineshrimpdirect.com has them at half the cost of pet stores IME. $7.95 each. Made me sick after I'd paid $19.99 for one, even paying shipping charges brineshrimpdirect would be cheaper. I also use their Artemia sieve to harvest, think it was $5.00 or so. I get all the BBS that way instead of losing most through the cloth brineshrimp nets (yeah, I know, meant for adults not babies but it's what I had on hand) Not affiliated with the company or anything, just a happy customer.

-Sonja

[jake levi]

I like the BSD sieves also, price is right compared to others and most important, they work.

Sonja I just noticed one of your interests is horses, what do you have ?

I had some Mustangs, just got three QH fillys, little urchins, enjoying them.

[RedSonja]

Originally posted by jake levi


Sonja I just noticed one of your interests is horses, what do you have ?

I had some Mustangs, just got three QH fillys, little urchins, enjoying them.

No horses now, hope to have them again in the future. I've owned (and bred) in the past Saddlebreds (natural ones, barefoot and uncut tails, for trail/pleasure) and Arabs (again not the showring psychos but good solid trail/pleasure horses). My mom owned a TWH for several years that was a showring rescue, foundered from the crap done to her but sound enough for light trail riding. If I win the lottery I'm buying a horse farm and a breeding herd of Friesians though.

-Sonja

[jake levi]

If I wont the lottery I'd have a half dozen Isrish Cobbs, aka Gypsy Horses, Irish Traveler Horses, neat little guys.

Not much chance of winning the lottery as I've never bought a ticket.

[David M]

I get all the BBS that way instead of losing most through the cloth brineshrimp nets (yeah, I know, meant for adults not babies but it's what I had on hand) Not affiliated with the company or anything, just a happy customer.

The blue handled "Top Fin" brand net from Petco is perfect for cysts and nauplii. None pass thru.

[RedSonja]

Originally posted by David M
The blue handled "Top Fin" brand net from Petco is perfect for cysts and nauplii. None pass thru.

*grin*

Now why did I just get a mental image of Gandalf harvesting BBS?



Thanks for the tip, I'll look for 'em next time I'm in Petco.

-Sonja